D52 City of Mysteries: The Beginning
by wsdsrdbw4096
Summary: Update: The story and series is to be revamped.
1. Returning to Coolsville

**Author's note: This is the first story of my series of _Scooby-Doo_ stories that is going to be darker and more serious than my other earlier fanfics.**

 **This new series takes place in Dimension 52 (Which is based on The New 52 branding of the DC Comics universe), where I make massive changes to the _Scooby-Doo_ universe. This dimension will incorporate elements of my Dimension One _Scooby-Doo_ stories, SDMI, Shaggy and Scooby-Doo Get A Clue and The New 52-version of Batman.**

 **In this dimension, Coolsville is now a major city in the United States with a population rivaling that of Los Angeles, as opposed to being the second-most populated city in the state of Ohio, as was the case for its counterpart in Dimension One.**

 **Also, Shaggy's younger sister Sugie will be playing a much larger role in this series, as well as Tom and Jerry, who are going to make their appearance in the sequel to this story in this series.**

 **This story is partially based on the Batman story _The Case of the Chemical Syndicate!_ from Detective Comics Issue #27, first published in May 1939, and it will incorporate elements from the Batman graphic novel _Batman: Earth One_.**

 **I don't own _Scooby-Doo_. Hanna-Barbara Productions and Warner Bros. does.**

* * *

Chapter 1: Returning to Coolsville

 _August 29, 2011_

The train ride to Coolsville was largely uneventful for Norville "Shaggy" Rogers, a sixteen-year-old teenage boy with dusty-brown hair and wearing a green dress shirt, brown trousers and a pair of black dress shoes. Shaggy spent much of the train ride from Chicago staring out of the window.

"I really don't get it, Norville." Shaggy's fifteen-year-old teenage sister, Maggie "Sugie" Rogers, who was seated on the seat in front of him and facing him, said. "Like, why go for this four-hour train ride back to Coolsville when Colonel Dickens offered us the faster helicopter ride back home?"

Like her brother, Sugie had dusty-brown hair as well, with her long hair tied into a ponytail on the back. She was wearing a light-purple blouse, a dark-green skirt and a pair of brown dress shoes.

"Like, the helicopter ride is too fast for me, Maggie." Shaggy answered as he continued his stare out of the window, watching the trees and scenery moving back.

"Too fast? What do you mean by that?" Sugie asked.

"Too fast for me to think." Shaggy replied as he turn to face his sister. "Like, I wanted to spend the time thinking about things, on how are we going to spend our time once we return to our old home in Coolsville."

"Fair enough." Sugie nodded.

Shaggy then returned to his staring out of the window and as he watches the scenery in front of him speeding by, his mind travelled back to the fateful night seven years ago.

FLASHBACK - Seven Years Ago

 _April 21, 2004_

That late evening, the Rogers family went out to the movie theater in downtown Coolsville for the latest release of the _Star: Dog Ranger of the North Woods_ franchise.

Shaggy was a huge fan of the movie franchise and have insisted in going to the movie theater to watch the latest release.

Eventually at around 22:30, the movie ended and the family made their way home.

"That movie sure is good, Norville." Their father Samuel commented as the family walked down the sidewalk along Lambert Avenue, one of Coolsville's major streets.

"Like, it sure is, Pops." Shaggy nodded in agreement.

"Well, it's right pass your bedtimes, dear, so as soon as we return home, you and Maggie go brush your teeth and then go to bed." Their mother Wendy said.

"Alright, Mommy." Maggie nodded. She was feeling tired after spending two hours watching the movie in the theater.

Soon, the family walked through a dimly-lighted section of the avenue with deserted traffic.

As the family walked past a dark intersection with an alley, a figure suddenly stepped out from the alley and drew a pistol at them.

Wendy gasped as Samuel quickly held up a hand to keep his children back.

"That pearl necklace the lady's wearing looks like it worth's ten grand. Give it to me!" The figure demanded as he aimed his pistol at Wendy.

Immediately, Samuel stepped forward as he said angrily, "Why you mugger! Don't you even try to lay your dirty hands on my wife!"

Just then, the mugger opened fire and within seconds, Samuel was hit and slumped to the ground.

"Sam!" Wendy exclaimed, but before she could go support her husband, the mugger fired his pistol at her.

"Zoinks!" Shaggy exclaimed as Sugie shouted,"Mommy! Daddy!"

Shaggy then turned to face the mugger that had shot his parents, and he will never forget the look on the man's face as he did so.

"S-s-stop looking at me like that, kid!" He exclaimed nervously.

He then hesitantly raised his pistol, not sure if he should do the same to the two kids, but as Maggie started crying and police sirens can be heard in the background, the mugger quickly retreated into the dark alley.

The intersection was soon filled with members of Coolsville's Finest as police responded to reports of the shooting at that intersection.

END OF FLASHBACK

Shaggy remembered being questioned by detectives arriving at the scene that night. He will never forget the name of the police detective that was the lead in the case: Detective Sergeant Frederick Jones.

Shortly after the shooting, he and Sugie were placed into foster care. The following day, a family friend who Samuel Rogers named in his will for taking care of his children in the event of his and Wendy's passing arrived, and after going through legal proceedings, the friend became Shaggy and Sugie's legal guardian.

That legal guardian was Marine Corps then-Captain William Dickens, who was Samuel Roger's close military contact from work.

A few days after Samuel and Wendy's funerals, the captain decided that it is best that he bring along the Rogers kids with him as he and his family moved out of Coolsville as part of his transfer to a military base near the outskirts of Chicago.

The captain had a good reason to bring Shaggy and Sugie with him as he was transferred from Coolsville to Chicago. Coolsville, one of the most populated cities in the country, is known for its reputation as a dangerous and corrupt place to raise a family, a reputation that rivals that of Gotham City's own.

That reputation was garnered by a combination of the city's corrupt administration and a worse-than-useless police department, where officers up and down the ladder commits crimes ranging from the usual bribery and drug dealing to more serious offences like murder. Sloppy investigations of crimes, particularly serious ones like murder, was a common practice in the Coolsville Police Department, and it was considered to be a surprise if the police department have actually cleared a case, especially serious ones like murders.

In fact, the police never arrested the mugger that shot Samuel and Wendy, nor did investigators came up with a suspect of interest. As a result, the case has gone down to being labelled as "unsolved."

After moving to Chicago, Dickens felt that it was necessary for the kids to undergo special military training, especially after Shaggy voiced his desire to catch the man responsible for his parents' deaths when he learned the fact that he can't simply turn to the police in a city as dangerous and corrupt as Coolsville.

Under the captain's arrangements, Shaggy and Sugie travelled to different parts of the world for their special training in preparation for their plan to fight crime in Coolsville.

In both London and Paris, the siblings learned the secrets behind detective work and how to track down people using the clues they've left behind.

In Japan, the siblings learned the secrets behind the Samurai way of life and were trained in sword-fighting and martial arts.

The siblings also spent some time in East Asian monasteries mediating and sharpening their reflexes, and have spent time in military academy for their education and training in handling weapons.

In addition, the siblings have learned how to cook, and by the time Shaggy was 14, his cooking skills have surpassed that of the mess sergeant assigned to teach him and Sugie how to cook and prepare their own meals.

Eventually, Dickens, now a Colonel, gave the siblings the option to return to Coolsville once Shaggy turned 16, an option which both siblings opted for.

As Sugie stared out of the train window, she can see a reflection of her brothers face on it. From the look in his eyes, she could tell that he was thinking about the fateful night.

"I miss Mom and Dad." She commented.

Shaggy turned to face her. "Like, so do I, Maggie."

* * *

Later, the train slowly pulled into the platform of Coolsville Union Station, and all of the passengers boarded off the train.

Shaggy and Sugie were followed by a porter pulling a cart with their luggages as they made their way to the main lobby.

Soon, their private ride arrived at the railroad station, and after the porter loaded their luggages into the trunk, the car drove off to their house in Glensburg.

Eventually, the siblings arrived at their new home and after the chauffeur helped them unload their luggages and the siblings gave him their thanks, the chauffeur drove off.

* * *

That evening, after a telephone call to Colonel Dickens to confirm that they had arrived home safely, Shaggy and Sugie had their dinner and after the dish washing, the siblings headed straight for their bedrooms, with a big day awaiting them tomorrow.

However, Shaggy didn't get much sleep that night, as he can't stop thinking what awaits him and Sugie as they made Coolsville their home again.

* * *

 **What awaits Shaggy and his sister Sugie as they moved back to their hometown of Coolsville? Please read and review!**


	2. First day of school

Chapter 2: First day of school and a new friend

 _August 30, 2011_

That morning after breakfast, Shaggy and Sugie got plenty of things to do. They have to spend the morning at a government office signing various documents stipulating their move and new residence in Coolsville, as well as updating their health and vaccination information in the state's database.

After going through the paperwork and obtaining the required documentation, the siblings went to a nearby shopping mall for lunch and then went to purchase supplies they need for the upcoming school year.

The siblings later spent the afternoon enrolling themselves into Coolsonian High School, one of the top public high schools in the city and located in the suburban district of Coolsonian. The enrollment was approved by the school and the siblings were given a school bus pass for the school bus route that serves their community, as their home in Glensburg is a twenty-minute drive away from Coolsonian High School.

As part of the enrollment, the siblings also spent the time to do course selections for the upcoming school year with the help of a guidance counselor, and they were able to successfully transfer the course credits they've obtained in the curriculum of Chicago Public Schools and their old military academy to the course credits in the curriculum for the Coolsville City School District.

* * *

 _September 6, 2011_

Before anyone can know it, the first day of school arrived.

After breakfast, Shaggy and Sugie got themselves ready for school.

Dressed in his favourite attire of a green shirt, brown pants and black sneakers, Shaggy got his school bag ready with binders, his class schedule and a pencil case.

Ultimately, the siblings got to the school bus stop and waited for the school bus, which arrived five minutes later.

As the duo boarded onto the school bus, the driver asked, "May I see your pass?"

Shaggy fumbled through his school bag to find his, while Sugie took hers out and handed it over to the driver.

"Alright." The driver nodded as he took the pass and wrote down Sugie's name on his pickup list.

As his sister made her way towards the back of the bus to find a seat, Shaggy managed to find his school bus pass and handed it over to the driver.

"Thank you, but next time, place it in a convenient location so you won't have to spend that much time looking for it, Mr. Rogers." The driver said to Shaggy as he handed it over to him.

"Like, I will." Shaggy nodded before making his way towards the back of the bus to find a seat.

He immediately found his sister seated in a row of seats not far from the drivers seat and went to sit with her.

* * *

Much of the bus ride was uneventful for Shaggy, and it didn't take long for the bus to arrive in front of the main entrance to Coolsonian High School.

Shaggy and his sister were among the first to get off the bus as it came to a complete stop, and they quickly made their way to the school's main entrance.

Once they were in the school building, Shaggy first helped his sister to go find her assigned locker in the sophomore's locker area, which they did effortlessly.

"Thanks, Norville." Sugie smiled. "I think I can manage alone from here." She then held up the school map she was given when they went to register for the academic year a week prior.

"Like, alright, Maggie." Shaggy nodded before giving his sister a hug. "So I guess I'll see you in the cafeteria for lunch."

"Right. See you." Sugie nodded before her brother turned and walked away to find his assigned locker.

Shaggy proceeded to the junior's locker area and went to search for his own locker, but as he did so, he ran into a familiar and unwelcome-looking figure.

"Norville 'Shaggy' Rogers." The figure said. "Or is it someone that looked just like that nincompoop?"

"Randolph 'Red' Herring." Shaggy replied as he recognized the hairstyle of his childhood bully. "Like, it's me alright and am back in town."

"Huh, I see." Red Herring smirked, his arms showing strong-looking muscles and indicating that you'll be a fool to mess with him. "You happen to have any money with you, do you?"

"Like, some things never do change." Shaggy commented, remembering the times he was bullied by Red Herring and his gang when he refused to give them his lunch money. "And no, I don't have any money with me, Red. I bring my own lunch."

"Liar. I know your folks are wealthy enough to give you money, so hand over your lunch money!" Red grinned. "Either you can do this the easy way, or you can do it the hard way like you used to before running out of town seven years back."

Shaggy shook his head, and Red raised his hand. Within seconds, his gang of four has surrounded Shaggy.

Shaggy simply crossed his arms while Red continued, "This is your last chance, Rogers. Hand me your money!"

Shaggy responded by shaking his head once again.

"Alright, nincompoop, you had your chance. Now be ready to face the music!" Red Herring said.

Immediately, one of Red Herring's gang members makes a fist and proceeds to punch Shaggy, but Shaggy managed to duck and the guy ended up punching his fellow gang member!

"Ouch!" The man uttered as he rubbed his chin in pain.

Other members of the gang then tried to punch Shaggy, but he swiftly ducked them all and launched his counterattacks by jumping into the air and giving them each a kick in the face.

Eventually, Red Herring was left with four slumps of masses lying on the floor tending to the hits they received from Shaggy's counterattack.

Red Herring's mouth dropped in surprise. What had happened to the weak shaggy-haired coward he have tormented in the past?

"You got to be bloody kidding me." He muttered.

"Like, no I'm not, Red." Shaggy replied. "You can lay me off right now, or I can make things worse for you and your gang." By this point, he was punching a fist into his right hand repeatedly.

At this moment, an attractive-looking girl with long orange hair and wearing a purple dress and a green ascot that matched his own green shirt walked by.

Seizing his opportunity to turn the tables against Shaggy, Red quickly moved to the girl and grabbed her by the collar.

"Hey!" The girl protested as she was grabbed by Red Herring by the collar.

"Alright, Rogers." Red smirked. "Give me your lunch money right now, or Daphne here gets it!" It was evident that he intended to punch the girl if Shaggy doesn't give him his lunch money.

Shaggy rolled his eyes. Now what?

Just then, an idea floated into his mind.

"So you really want my money that badly, eh, Red?" Shaggy asked as he pulled out something from his pocket.

"Of course I do!" Red sneered and relaxed his grip on Daphne as he saw the object Shaggy had pulled out from his pocket. It looked like a wallet filled with money and his credit cards.

"Then come and get it!" Shaggy taunted as he threw the "wallet" towards where Red's gang were getting up after receiving the kicks from Shaggy.

Forgetting about Daphne, Red let go of her and raced towards where the wallet had landed and nearly collided with his gang.

Picking up the wallet, Red was happy to see the money in it but the expression on his face fell when he took a closer look of the money.

The paper money were toy currencies and the wallet itself is made of low-grade plastic, but from a distance, the fake wallet does look like a real one made of leather.

"You tricked me, Rogers!" Red shouted angrily as his gang laughed as they saw Red picking up the fake wallet.

"Then, that should teach you not to mess with anyone when I'm around, Red Herring." Shaggy smirked as he folded his arms.

Before Red had a chance to respond, the bell rang, signalling the students that they've got five minutes before classes start.

Without a word, Red signalled his gang, and they all walked away.

Turning to the girl who was grabbed by the collar by Red, Shaggy asked, "Like, are you all right?"

"I'm fine." The girl nodded. "Thank you."

"Like, don't mention it." Shaggy smiled as he made his way to his locker, with the girl following him.

A pause went by before Shaggy introduced himself. "Oh, and by the way, the name's Rogers. Norville Rogers, but you may call me Shaggy."

"Daphne Blake." The girl smiled and offered her hand. "A pleasure to meet you."

"Likewise." Shaggy smiled as he shook Daphne's offered hand.

"You seem like you're new to Coolsonian, Shaggy." Daphne commented when she saw him holding his class timetable.

"Like, I've only moved back to Coolsville just last week." Shaggy explained. "Prior to that, I was living in Chicago and have also spent a year in London."

"Interesting." Daphne nodded. A pause went by before she added, "By the way, what class do you have first?"

"Chemistry."

"Jeepers! Same here!"

"Zoinks! Like, then do you mind if you show me the way to the classroom? I don't think I'll have time to figure out the location of my locker."

"No problem, Shag." Daphne replied. "Follow me."

With that, Shaggy followed Daphne as they made their way to their chemistry class.

* * *

 **Please read and review!**


	3. Lunchtime

Chapter 3: Lunchtime

The first two class periods went by in a flash. Grade 11 Chemistry and Gymnastics for Shaggy, Grade 10 World History II and Computer Programming for his sister.

Shaggy was quite surprised when it was discovered that his new friend Daphne also had gym class with him, in addition to chemistry.

Eventually, lunch period came, and after Shaggy made his way to his locker with Daphne to put their school bags away - It was also realized that Daphne's locker is right next to his - the duo made their way to the cafeteria to meet up with Shaggy's sister Sugie.

"So you mentioned that you only have moved back to Coolsville just last week. Did you live here before?" Daphne asked.

"Like, yes. I was actually born here and I went to West Glensburg Public School until I was nine." Shaggy replied, and Daphne can detect his tone turning somber.

"Mind if I ask what happened?" By this point, the duo had entered the cafeteria.

Shaggy was silent for a moment, but before he could answer, he was greeted by a sight that made him speechless and angry.

Red Herring and his gang were surrounding a sparsely-seated table, and as Shaggy looked closely, he realized that Red has grabbed Sugie by her collar!

"Oh yeah?" Red was saying as Shaggy and Daphne approached. "Didn't you bring your own lunch today? If so, then what's the point of staring at the lunch menu, unless you're hungry as always."

Apparently, Sugie was staring at the menu in the cafeteria when Red and his gang walked by and entered her line of sight towards the menu, leading Red to think that she was staring at him.

His gang laughed, but their laughing stopped when Sugie unexpectedly used her fingers to pinch his hand fiercely!

"Ouch!" Red Herring exclaimed as he let go of Sugie and held his pinched hand in pain. Then, he glared at her. "That hurted a lot!"

"Then, that should teach you in assuming that I stared at you on purpose, Red Herring!" Sugie replied.

"She's right, Red." A voice added.

Red and his gang turned to look. Standing behind them were Shaggy and Daphne. Shaggy had an angry look on his face and had crossed his arms as he looked at Red and his gang.

"Beat it, Rogers. This is none of your business." Red retorted.

"Like, it _is_ my business if that business of yours involves my sister!" Shaggy replied. The tone of anger in his voice was unmistakable.

Before Red could respond, Sugie stomped right on his foot, causing him to yelp in pain.

"Oww!" Red shouted as his gang started to laugh at his misfortune again. "You see that? Your sister started it!"

"Like, you wouldn't have gotten yourself into this situation if you had left my sister alone, Red."

Red Herring turned to look around. The students that were seated nearby were watching the drama unfold. Most of them had defiant looks on their faces as if they were saying, "Come pick on us, if you dare."

Aware of the possibility of the situation unfolding into the students inspired to stand up to him and his gang, Red and his gang left without another word.

"Whew! That was a close one!" Sugie commented.

"Sorry for what has happened. Perfect timing by Shaggy, I suppose." Daphne said.

Sugie nodded before Shaggy proceeded to the introductions. "Maggie, this is my new friend Daphne Blake. She's in my chemistry and gym classes."

Turning to Daphne, Shaggy added, "Daph, this is my sister Maggie Rogers."

Daphne extended her hand. "Pleased to meet you, Maggie."

"Likewise, Daphne." Sugie smiled. "Oh, and by the way, you can call me Sugie."

"Alright. Sugie, it shall be, then." Daphne smiled as Shaggy took a seat.

After Daphne told them that she's going to go pick up her lunch at the main entrance and left, the siblings proceeded to have their lunches. During this time, Sugie said to her brother. "Like, for some reason, Daphne seemed familiar to me, Norville."

"Oh yeah? Like, how?" Shaggy asked.

"Well, I don't know why she reminded me of Uncle George."

Shaggy looked at the redhead for a brief moment before his mind focused on the physical appearance of Uncle George and Daphne's face.

"Like, they had the same hair colour, and I can see the blue eyes in her, Mags." Shaggy said. "I think she may be the Daphne Uncle George promised us to meet in the past, before that fateful night at Lambert Avenue."

The "Uncle George" they were talking about was none other than the president of Blake Enterprises, George Robert Nadley Blake. George Blake was a good friend of their father Sam, who had pursued a close working, business relationship with the millionaire after founding his own chemical industry and medical research company, a company that quickly became one of the city's largest employers in the chemical industry and the medical sector.

George Blake had made a few visits to the Rogers' household in the past, usually to meet with their father Sam to discuss business. In fact, it was during these visits that Mr. Blake will encounter the young Shaggy and Sugie. He had promised them to let them meet his daughter who is the same age as Shaggy, but that promise never came through after Shaggy and Sugie moved away to Chicago following the funeral of their parents.

Sugie nodded just as Daphne returned with her lunch. The siblings decided not to question her about her family and carried on with eating their lunches.

* * *

The two class periods in the afternoon went by fast, with Shaggy having Grade 11 Culinary Arts and English, while Sugie had Grade 10 Biology and Civics.

After clearing out of his locker, Shaggy proceeded to the school's main entrance to meet up with his sister with Daphne, who he had English with.

During the rest of the day, Daphne got to know Shaggy better, although she was puzzled by the somber tone in his voice when he mentioned that he and his sister had lived in Coolsville before until he was nine while she (Sugie) was eight.

Sugie arrived shortly after they arrived at the main entrance, and the trio made their way out of the school.

"So how was your day, Mags?" Shaggy asked.

"Like, it was alright, Norville." Sugie smiled. Seeing Daphne with him, she added, "I see that you and Daphne have became close friends."

Daphne smiled as she asked, "What makes you think that, Sugie?"

Sugie shrugged. "The fact that you keep staying around with my brother speaks of that."

Daphne nodded, but before she could say something, Shaggy said, "Like, our school bus is there, Daph."

"Oh, okay." Daphne replied when she saw the school bus Sugie was heading for. "Well, I guess I'll be seeing you guys tomorrow at school, I hope."

Shaggy nodded before replying, "Yeah, we'll see you tomorrow."

Sugie smiled as she waved Daphne goodbye before she and her brother boarded the school bus.

Daphne smiled at them both before turning away to make her to the drop off/pick up zone to wait for her ride.

Once Daphne was out of earshot, Sugie commented, "Like, I think Daphne may be interested in you, Norville."

"Like, you think so?" Shaggy asked.

Sugie shrugged. "The way she interacts with you gave me that feeling."

"I see." Shaggy nodded as the school bus closed its doors and made its way out of the high school.

* * *

 **Please read and review!**


	4. The ride home and murder!

Chapter 4: The ride home and murder!

 _September 19, 2011_

As the weeks went by, the siblings have fully adapted to their new life in Coolsville and high school. In addition to the classes they had on the first day of school, Shaggy had Grade 11 Biology, Algebra II, Physics and Accounting while Sugie had Grade 10 English, Computer Design, Physics and Algebra I.

In the meantime, Shaggy's friendship with Daphne continued. In addition to gym, chemistry and English classes, she was in his biology, algebra, physics and accounting classes, much to Shaggy's surprise.

That afternoon after school, the siblings and Daphne met at the school main entrance to wait for the late arrival of their school bus as usual.

The reason due to the late arrival of their school bus was due to the fact that elementary schools in the city have their classes ended earlier than the high schools on Mondays, and their school bus was one of the very few buses assigned to the pick up and drop off of elementary school students before coming over to pick up and drop off the students of Coolsonian High School.

As a result of that arrangement, the students, along with Shaggy and his sister, had to wait. It didn't really matter much for them, though, as they can pass the time by chatting with Daphne on some topics.

The minutes went by, and the other school buses have departed, and still no sign of their school bus.

"Like, what in the name of Casey Kasem is holding up the bus?" Shaggy wondered as he checked his watch. Normally, the school bus should arrive at the school by the time the last bus departs at its regular time.

Just as Shaggy made his thought, a purple car pulled up onto the curb and stopped in front of him, Sugie and Daphne.

The driver behind the wheel looked at them and unexpectedly did a double take.

Sugie, having had noticed the driver's reaction when he saw her and her brother, said, "Norville, the driver of that purple car looks like Uncle George!"

Shaggy turned to look. Sure enough, it was George Robert Nadley Blake behind the wheel. In spite of the fact that he had aged a bit, his face was still recognizable to them.

"Uncle George!" Shaggy exclaimed as the millionaire got off his car and went over to greet the siblings and Daphne.

"My word! Norville Rogers and Maggie Rogers!" George replied. "How time flies! Long time no seen!" Seeing his daughter, he smiled as he added, "I see that you have been friends with the Rogerses, Daphne."

"Like, good to see you, Uncle George!" Sugie replied as she gave George a hug before her brother went to shake his offered hand.

After the greeting, George asked, "Didn't even know that you kids will be moving back to Coolsville for high school! Did Colonel Dickens took care of you kids well?"

"Like, he sure did, Uncle George." Shaggy nodded.

"Good to hear." George smiled. "It's unfortunate that I can't ask you two to say hi to your parents for me."

Neither Shaggy nor Sugie replied with a word. They just nodded.

The brief silence was broken when Daphne asked, "Dad, it may be rude for me to ask you this in front of Shaggy and Sugie, but what happened to their parents? I've never heard them talking about their parents so far, so could it be that something terrible has happened to them?"

"You got that right, Daphne." George replied calmly. "I don't think it is..."

"It's okay, Uncle George." Shaggy said. "Like, we don't want to keep Daphne in the dark on what happened seven years back on Lambert Avenue. Might as well as enlighten her on what happened."

"Fair enough." George nodded as Sugie nodded. Turning to his daughter, George continued, "Daphne, I think you may remember being at the funerals of Uncle Samuel and Aunt Wendy seven years back, do you?"

Daphne thought for a while before nodding. "Yes, I do, Dad. You mentioned that Uncle Samuel had done some business favours to you and had promised me to meet his son and daughter, and..." She trailed off when she looked at Shaggy and Sugie and immediately understood.

"They're Uncle Samuel's children, aren't they, Dad?" Daphne continued.

George nodded. "Yes. They happened to have witnessed the mugging gone wrong that fateful night."

Daphne gasped as she turned to Shaggy and his sister. "Jeepers! I'm so sorry for what had happened!"

Shaggy didn't respond until after he and Sugie both shared an embrace with Daphne, at which he then replied, "Like, it wasn't your fault, Daph. In fact, both Maggie and I should thank you for being a supporting friend in the past few weeks."

Daphne nodded and smiled. Before she could say something, George said, "Here, how about I give you two a lift, Norville, Maggie? It seems like your school bus is held up by something serious."

Shaggy turned and looked. Still no sign of his and Sugie's school bus, and most of the students waiting for the bus seemed frustrated, with some on their phones and others pacing back and forth anxiously.

"Like, good idea, Uncle George." Sugie nodded.

* * *

The ride on the Blakes' purple car was mostly uneventful, although Shaggy, Sugie and Daphne continued to chat about other topics with George joining in. The diversion will give them a break from the intense moment when George mentioned that Shaggy and Sugie were orphaned.

Soon, the car pulled into the main entrance of the Rogers' house in Glensburg.

"This is it." George Blakes said as he shifted the car into park.

"Like, thank you for the lift, Uncle George!" Sugie said as she opened the back door and prepared to get off.

"You're welcome." George nodded as Shaggy opened the front door.

As the siblings got off the car, Daphne, who also got off to change seats, went to them.

"I probably shouldn't have asked you that sensitive question, Shaggy." She said.

"Like, don't worry about it, Daph." Shaggy smiled. "I figured that you may be curious about our parents, so it's not really a big deal."

"Fair enough." Daphne nodded and smiled.

"So we'll see you tomorrow at school, Daphne." Sugie smiled as she and her brother made their way to the front door of their house.

"Right. See you guys!" Daphne smiled as she climbed onto her father's car.

"See you!" Shaggy and his sister both nodded and waved their hands at the Blakes before turning to enter their house as the car drove away.

* * *

That late evening, the city sleeps as darkness decorated with stars blankets the sky above the city.

Inside the mansion of a wealthy businessman, the occupant was sitting in the library smoking his pipe when his attention was drawn by a pebble hitting the side window.

"What in the?" The businessman asked as he got up and went over to the window to investigate.

Just as he did so, a figure climbed into the room through the open window on the adjacent side of the room. The figure then went over to the businessman and draw his knife.

The businessman turned his back just in time to see a man walking towards him with the knife.

"A knife! What's the meaning of this?" The businessman demanded.

"You're better off without the contract in your possession, Mr. Stevens, and dead men tell no tales!" The thug replied before swinging his knife at Mr. Stevens.

Mr. Stevens tried to duck and overpower the thug, but in the struggle, the thug managed to stab him right in the back of his chest.

"Ahhh!" Mr. Stevens exclaimed in pain as he collapsed onto the floor, while the thug proceeded to the safe.

Mr. Stevens watched the thug opening the safe without any problem and took some documents with him and placed some other papers back in the safe before everything started to go black for him.

* * *

 **Uh, oh. This doesn't seem good at all. What will happen next? Please read and review!**

 **Anyone liked my reference to Casey Kasem, by the way?**


	5. The police investigation

Chapter 5: The police investigation and a speed bump

That night, Lieutenant Frederick Jones Sr. of the Coolsville Police Department, a man with black short hair and wearing a pair of black glasses, who was also the lead detective investigating the murder of Sam and Wendy Rogers seven years ago, was seated in his living room having a chat with his son Fred Jr.

Their idle conversation was interrupted by a telephone call.

"Hello?" Fred Sr. asked as he picked up the telephone.

A pause.

"What's that?"

A pause.

"Grover Stevens, the Chemical King, murdered?"

A pause.

"His son's fingerprints on the murder weapon?"

A pause.

"Oh, and my new partner is at the scene already?"

A pause with a nod.

"Alright, I'll be right over, sir." He then hung up the telephone.

"What's the excitement about, Dad?" Fred Jr. asked. Unlike his father, Fred Jr. had blond hair, a trait that he had inherited from his mother.

"It's about Grover Stevens, the notable chemical industrialist. He's been murdered."

"Holy moly! I guess you're going over to investigate the murder, eh?"

"That's right, my dear Fred, and I want you to take care of yourself while I'm away."

"Oh, come on, Dad." Fred Jr. protested. "I was going to ask if I may come along."

"Of course not, Fred!" The police lieutenant snapped. "You should know that investigating murders is a dangerous business in this city, son, so for your own safety, stay home and take good care of yourself."

Fred Jr. nodded. He had always wanted to follow his father's footsteps in joining the police department, but his father discourages him in following the path, even though he didn't mind his only son reading detective and crime novels during his spare time.

* * *

Soon, the police lieutenant arrived at the Stevens Manor, which was filled with law enforcement activity as investigators comb through the crime scene.

"Everything under control, sergeant?" Fred Sr. asked when he arrived at the manor.

"Yes sir." The uniformed sergeant at the door replied. "The detectives are in the library with the body, sir, and the younger Stevens is being held there."

"Alright." Fred Sr. nodded as he made his way in, escorted by the sergeant.

In the library, Fred Sr. looked around. There were several uniformed officers in the library, going through the usual routine of securing the crime scene.

He then saw a black male in a suit examining the body. Immediately, Fred Sr. walked over to greet him.

"Sergeant John Tucker, I presume?" The lieutenant asked.

"That's me, Lieutenant Jones." Tucker replied as he shook the lieutenant's offered hand. He was recently transferred from the Los Angeles Police Department and was to be partnered with Fred Sr. in Major Crimes Division when he got the call from their captain.

"I got the call from Captain Bucky and when I arrived, the boys told me that they've got the kid's fingerprints on the murder weapon. Kid claimed that he was innocent, though. He's over in the living room, seated on the red armchair with two guys watching over him."

"Alright." Fred Sr. nodded. "I'll be right over there with the victim. If you got anything, let me know."

"Yes, sir." Tucker nodded, and Fred Sr. made his way to see Stevens Jr. On his way, one of the uniformed officers showed him the murder weapon, which was a knife. The fingerprints were shown to be on the handle of the murder weapon.

"Alright. Store the knife for evidence." Fred Sr. instructed the officer before continuing.

In the living room, Stevens Junior was seated in a red armchair, and as Tucker had said, there were two uniformed officers watching him. Fred Sr. immediately went to him.

"Hello, Mr. Stevens, my name is Lieutenant Fred Jones. The boys here said that your fingerprints were on the murder weapon. Care to explain how that happened unless you murdered your father?"

"I didn't do it, lieutenant!" The younger Stevens exclaimed. "I swear! I didn't do it!"

He was on the verge of going through a meltdown when Fred Sr. said, "Now calm down, Mr. Stevens. I just want an explanation and then we'll move the investigation from there."

"Alright, sir." Stevens Jr. said before getting down to the story as he wiped his forehead with a handkerchief.

STEVENS JUNIOR'S FLASHBACK AND NARRATION

Steven Jr. have arrived home early that evening after concluding a business dinner with some business partners and passed by the library.

"Tonight, I arrived home early from a business dinner I had with my business partners. As I walked past the library - The door was closed at that time - I heard a groan coming from it and went in to investigate."

Stevens Jr. heard the groan and then opened the door to the library, where he caught a glimpse of a figure racing out of the window and saw his father laid facedown with the knife sticking up from his chest in the back. He also thought he had heard a slam as he entered and saw that the safe was closed when he entered.

"As I enter the library, I thought I saw a figure racing out of the window, but I wasn't so sure because I then saw my father lying on the floor facedown with a knife sticking up from his chest in the back. However, I did thought that I have heard a slam and when I enter, I also noticed that my father's safe was closed."

As quick as a fox, Stevens Jr. went to his father and turned him around after pulling the knife out from his chest, just in time for his father to say something before inhaling his last breath.

"Quickly, I raced over to my father, pulled the knife out of his chest, which was how I got my fingerprints on the knife, and turned him around. Just as I did so, I heard him say 'Contract...contract...' And just like that, he inhaled his last breath and died."

END OF FLASHBACK

"After that, I quickly telephoned the police, and the first of the officers arrived in less than ten minutes. All of this is nothing but the truth, lieutenant."

"I see." Fred Sr. nodded and thought for a while before asking, "Did your father had any enemies? Someone who wished him dead?"

"Not that I'm aware of, sir." Stevens Jr. replied after thinking for a while. "However, he did have four business partners who used to work with him. Let's see...There's Samuel Chastain Rogers - He's dead now and he left my father's partnership a few years before that - Carl Jacobson, Theodore Hindley and Graham Herring. They co-founded the Antsville Chemical Corporation several years back."

* * *

After further questioning Stevens Jr., the body was collected by the coroner and the investigators returned to police headquarters after a night of questioning neighbours of the Stevens. None of them reported to have seen anyone suspicious prior to the arrival of the first police cruiser.

 _September 20, 2011_

That morning, Detective Sergeant Tucker arrived at the squad room for work after getting a few hours sleep the night before.

The first thing that crossed his mind was to check on the murder weapon in the crime investigations lab.

"I'm going to the lab to check on the murder weapon, sir." Tucker said to Fred Sr.

The lieutenant just nodded without looking up as he got down with his paperwork.

Down in the lab, Tucker met up with the lab assistant.

"So anything useful on the knife?" Tucker asked after introducing himself to the lab assistant.

"Knife? What knife?" The assistant asked.

"The murder weapon from the murder of the Chemical King."

"I have no idea what you're talking about, detective."

"What do you mean you don't know what I'm talking about? It's a murder weapon, for crying out loud!"

"As far as I know, there's no murder weapon connected to the case, detective. In fact, even if there is one, it is most likely useless."

Tucker exploded at the comment. "Are you kidding me?! Are you bloody kidding me?"

"No, I'm not. Now toddle off, detective. I've got other work to do."

* * *

Moments later, a steaming mad Detective Sergeant Tucker stormed back to the squad room.

"Lieutenant, what happened to the murder weapon from last night?" He asked.

"The boys locked it in the evidence storage locker over at their station house." Fred Sr. replied.

"What? I thought they will submit it immediately to the crime investigations lab!"

"I thought so, too. Well, we better go over to that station house to check up on them."

* * *

Soon, the two detectives arrived at the station house and proceeded straight for the evidence storage lockers.

After the patrol sergeant gave them the locker number, they went over to the locker and opened it with the key the sergeant gave them. It was empty!

"Empty! What did you people did with the bloody knife?" Tucker exclaimed.

"Simple. One of my guys wiped the blood off the knife and gave it to his friend on the street." The sergeant replied.

"What?!" Tucker exploded, but the lieutenant calmed him down, stating that they should go over to visit the "friend".

Soon, the duo were on the street and ran into the muscular man described by the patrol officer. He had plenty of tattoos on his arm and looked rather threatening.

"Give me back my knife, right now, mister." Tucker said to the man. He was unnerved by the man's appearance.

"Make me." The man replied with a smirk.

"Oh yeah? That's a murder weapon you've got in your possession, and you should know bloody well that it's against the law to have an item that is declared a murder weapon in your possession."

The man simply didn't make a move and smirked. "Not a chance, copper!"

"Why you..." Tucker exploded and made a fist and proceeded to punch the man angrily, but after one punch, Fred Sr. stopped him.

"Stop it, Tucker." The lieutenant said as he pulled Tucker back. Turning to the man, he added, "Sorry for the punch, Wrench, my partner is new to Coolsville and can get out of control at times."

Wrench simply smirked as Fred Sr. continued, "Let's go, Tucker. Don't bother to fight with the man."

"What?" Tucker shouted. "He just broke the law, sir, can't you see that? He should be arrested!"

"Let's go." Fred Sr. said firmly as he tugged his partner away. Soon, they were on their departmental-assigned car and on their way back to headquarters.

* * *

 **What in the? Anyone can guess what is going on here? Why did Fred Sr. refused to arrest the man known as "Wrench"?**

 **Any guess in the reasons can go into the reviews section, and the more the merrier!**


	6. One possible witness

**Note: As you may have noticed from the previous chapter, I am using Fred Jones Sr. from SDMI in this series, although in this series, he is a police officer rather than a politician and that he is actually Fred Jones Jr.'s legitimate biological father.**

* * *

Chapter 6: One possible witness

Meanwhile, over in Coolsonian High School, classes were going on as usual.

Soon, it was lunchtime and as usual, Shaggy met up with his sister and Daphne and they had lunch together.

"Did you guys heard about the murder of Grover Stevens last night?" Daphne asked as they sat down for lunch.

"Like, we did." Sugie replied as she and her brother nodded. Both of them were having a salad with a cheese sandwich. "We learned about it when we saw the newspaper headline."

 **(Note: Shaggy and Sugie are vegetarians in my _City of Mysteries_ stories)**

"Do you think that someone will actually want to harm Mr. Stevens?" Daphne asked.

Shaggy shrugged. "Like, our father used to work with Mr. Stevens and three other business partners in founding the Antsville Chemical Corporation before leaving to found his medical research company. That was seven years before he and our mother were fed with bullets on Lambert Avenue, and now seven years after this, you've got Stevens murdered. I can't help but think that there's some sort of a connection between these two cases, like, perhaps one of those business partners was responsible for the murders."

"Interesting." Daphne nodded. "I really wonder how will the police close this case?"

"Oh, the police?" Shaggy replied. "Like, I highly doubt they ever will. If they can't close one high-profile murder, then it is highly unlikely they will ever close another."

"I have to agree with you on that, Shag." Daphne nodded. "This city's police force is a police force in name only. They're totally worse than useless, and my father's faith on them has eroded since what has happened on Lambert Avenue seven years ago."

"Yeah. I have a feeling that someone is going to have to help out the police if they want to close the case." Sugie agreed.

* * *

Meanwhile, during the drive back to police headquarters, Sergeant Tucker was in a foul mood as the lieutenant drove on.

"Lieutenant, what the bloody devil were you thinking?!" He exclaimed angrily. "I thought you knew that the knife is the murder weapon from last night's murder!"

"It is, Tucker." Fred Sr. replied evenly.

"Then, why the bloody h*ll did you let that doggone snake in the grass keep the bloody knife? More importantly, why didn't you let me arrest him?"

"You can't arrest him. Not when you have people on the top and at City Hall looking over him, Tucker."

"What the devil do you mean by that, lieutenant?" Tucker asked.

Before Fred Sr. can answer the question, his cell phone rang.

Due to the departments recent campaign to raise awareness and crack down on distracted driving, Fred Sr. swiftly pulled the car over and shifted the car into park before answering the call.

"Hello?" Fred Sr. answered.

"Hi, Uncle Freddie!" It was his niece Marcie, who is the daughter of his late-wife's older sister and is Fred Jr.'s cousin. "How are you?"

"I'm doing good, Marcie." Fred Sr. replied. "And you?"

"Same here, Uncle Freddie. I've got news for you."

"What is it?"

"Mom and Dad are going away for a business trip, and they plan to drop me off at your place in the afternoon."

"Ah, okay. What time?"

"Well, it depends on the afternoon traffic, but perhaps around four."

"Alright. See you then, Marcie."

* * *

That afternoon, after the ride home to Glensburg, Shaggy and Sugie completed their schoolwork before meeting up with Daphne to go for a walk together in their neighbourhood.

Like the Rogers, the Blakes also lived in Glensburg. In fact, the Blake mansion was only a few blocks away from the Rogers' house, so ever since Shaggy and Sugie figured out that Daphne doesn't live far away from them, they've been hanging out together everyday after school.

During the walk, they walked by the Steven's mansion, which still has police cruisers parked in the area.

"Like, I wonder if they're still investigating?" Shaggy wondered as he saw the cruiser.

"Perhaps they're there to offer Calvin Stevens [Stevens Jr.] protection in the event of any threat against his life after the murder of his father." Daphne replied.

"You may be right, Daph." Shaggy commented. Before he could continue, they saw Fred Jr. speaking with a man Shaggy and his sister instantly recognized as the detective that was the lead investigator in the murders of their parents.

"But Dad, why can't I lend a hand here?" Fred Jr. was speaking as the trio passed by and stopped.

"The answer is simple, Fred: Murder investigations are dangerous businesses in this city, and it's not worth risking the life of a promising young man like you."

As Fred Jr. and his father continued with their argument, Shaggy, Sugie and Daphne stopped to watch.

"Like, that man the guy with the ascot is arguing with looks like the detective that was the lead in our parents' murder cases, Norville!" Sugie said quietly.

"I see that, Mags." Shaggy replied. "I think it's a safe guess that he must be the lead detective in this murder case. I felt sorry for his son, though."

Just as Shaggy finished his comment, Fred Jr. walked towards the trio.

"I just don't understand why Dad will never let me help out in investigating the murder of Grover Stevens." He muttered frustratingly.

"Your father giving you a hard time again, man?" Shaggy asked.

"That's right. I just wanted to help out." Fred Jr. nodded.

"That's a shame." Daphne said with sympathy in her voice.

"Like, speaking of the case, I think it is safe to assume that no one has been hooked up yet for the murder, right?" Shaggy asked.

"You got that right." Fred Jr. nodded. "If only Dad lets me lend a hand here, then we may have gotten a new development in the case."

Just as Fred Jr. finished, several sirens can be heard in the background, and when the four turned to look, they spotted three police cruisers speeding down the street towards their direction. All of them sped past the Stevens mansion.

"Say, I wonder what is going on?" Sugie asked as she watched the three police cruisers sped by.

* * *

In another part of the neighbourhood, on a parked delivery truck, one Great Dane was staring at a particular manor in the neighbourhood when his ears picked up a gunshot coming from that manor, as well as what he thought to be a cry. A few minutes after that, he saw two suspicious-looking figures exiting the manor, with one of them placing a document into his coat. The other man was placing what appeared to be a handgun into his coat.

Getting a suspicious feeling about the two men that went by the truck he was on, the Great Dane started to growl.

"Say, you hear that growl, Jake?" One of the men asked as the dog started to growl.

"Yeah, it's coming from that truck!" The other man replied. Turning to look, they spotted a Great Dane with brown fur, black spots and wearing a blue dog collar with a diamond-shaped dog tag with the initials "SD" growling at them.

"Why, it's a dog!" The first thug said.

"He must have seen us pulling the job. We've got to get rid of him or we're sunk!" The second thug replied, but before the two thugs could think of something, the delivery truck pulled away.

"Blast! We got to follow that truck!" The first thug exclaimed. Immediately, he and the second thug raced for their pickup, which was parked nearby, started the engine and took off following the truck.

* * *

 **Reviews?**


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